SCOUTING No. 8 STANFORD: No. 8 ranked Stanford University entered the week with a 40-16 overall record and 5-13 Pac-10 mark before facing San Jose State in a non-conference double-header on Wednesday. The Cardinal are just 1-12 in there last 13 conference games since facing the Beavers on April 7. Stanford broke a nine-game Pac-10 slide with a 9-1 victory against Arizona State last Friday. Senior Jessica Mendoza leads the team in batting with a .387 average, 17 doubles, 13 home runs and 26 stolen bases. Fellow senior, Sarah Beeson is not far behind with a .379 batting average and a team-high 44 RBI. Tori Nyberg leads the team in the circle with a 1.49 ERA to go along with 23 wins. On the season, the Cardinal is just 1-7 in games played in Palo Alto.

BEAVERS AND CARDINAL SERIES NUMBERS: With two victories against Oregon State earlier this season, Stanford has now tied the all-time series mark at 19-19. The Beavers have a 7-18 mark against the Cardinal with Kirk Walker at the helm, but Stanford has won eight of the last nine meetings between the squads.

STANFORD LAST TIME OUT: No. 3 Stanford swept the weekend series with Oregon State, 7-0 and 7-3 on April 6-7. The Cardinal dominated Saturday's game, scoring early and often. The Beavers pounded 11 hits on the afternoon, including a 4-for-4 effort from Brynnen Guthrie, but left 14 runners stranded on base. In Sunday's game, OSU took a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning, riding the arm of Monica Hoffman who had allowed just two Stanford hits through six. The Cardinal offense caught fire in the seventh, scoring seven runs and pounding seven hits, including a pair of home runs, to steal the victory.

SCOUTING No. 5 CALIFORNIA: No. 5 ranked California enters the final week of the regular season with a 45-19 overall record and 9-9 Pac-10 mark. The Bears have lost three-straight and five of their last six. Junior Veronica Nelson is one of four players batting above .300, boasting a team-best .349 average and drawing 90 walks on the year. Jocelyn Forest leads the Bears from the circle, boasting 20 wins, a 1.25 ERA and a conference-best 309 strikeouts. As a team, Cal has a .276 batting average while its opponents are hitting just .189.

BEAVERS AND BEARS SERIES NUMBERS: California leads the all-time series with Oregon State, 51-22, but the Beavers are 9-17 against Cal with Kirk Walker at the helm. OSU swept the two-game series with the Bears in last season's final day of action and rallied for a 3-2 victory when the team's met earlier this season in Corvallis. Oregon State has won five of the last six meetings and four-straight in Berkeley.

CALIFORNIA LAST TIME OUT: Steph Adams' two-out, three-run, sixth inning home run lifted Oregon State to a 3-2 victory against No. 6 California on April 5. Cal jumped in front 2-0 in the fifth inning but Adams' 16th career homer lifted the Beavers to victory and Monica Hoffman picked up the win after pitching 1.2 innings of relief. Michelle Chariton had two hits on the day for the Beavers.

SELECTION SUNDAY: The field of 48 teams for the 2002 NCAA Division I Softball Championship will be announced at 6 p.m. PDT, on Sunday, May 12. The selection show will be aired on ESPNEWS, which is on DirecTV channel 207 and Dish Network channel 142.

LOOKING BACK AT No. 6 WASHINGTON: Junior Jessica King's one-out, seventh inning RBI single, knocked in the winning run as Oregon State rallied from an 0-1 seventh inning deficit to upset No. 6 Washington, 2-1 last Friday. Beaver hurler Crystal Draper struck out seven of the first nine batters that she faced and didn't allow a Husky hit until an infield single in the fourth inning. UW took the lead in the sixth inning, capitalizing on three hits. The Beavers rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Clare Burnum led-off the inning with her 17th double of the year. Shelly Prochaska's single through the right-side plated Burnum to knot the score and King's hit to the gap proved to be the game-winner. Draper matched her season-high with 12 K's but sophomore Monica Hoffman recorded the victory after entering the game in relief during the seventh.

LOOKING BACK AT No. 1 UCLA: Top-ranked UCLA swept the weekend series with Oregon State, 10-1 and 8-0. The Bruins pounded 15 hits including six doubles and three home runs en route to last Saturday's victory. UCLA senior Stacey Nuveman broke the NCAA home run record with a seventh inning leadoff blast, the 86th of her career. OSU broke-up the shutout in the bottom of the seventh when pinch hitter Brynnen Guthrie belted a two-out RBI double off the left field fence. Sunday's game proved to be a pitcher's dual as both Crystal Draper and Keira Goerl were in control from the circle. The Bruins broke the game open in the sixth inning when they scored four runs on four hits and continued the barrage in the seventh with three more runs. Beaver senior Jenni Jodoin broke-up Goerl's perfect game in the bottom of the sixth with an infield single - OSU's lone hit in the contest.

GIVE US LIGHT: Oregon State is 6-1 on the season in games played at night. The Beavers' lone loss under the lights came against No. 2 Arizona in Tucson on April 27. OSU and Stanford will wrap-up the season series at 7 p.m. on Friday.

MAKING MOM AND DAD HAPPY: Oregon State freshman Alana Mendoza will face her sister, Jessica, when the Beavers travel to Stanford University on Friday. The elder Mendoza leads the Cardinal with a .387 batting average and 26 stolen bases. Alana Mendoza is currently sixth on the Beaver squad, hitting .238 in 55 games, and boasting a .971 fielding percentage - two points higher than her sister's .969 mark.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY: Oregon State has out-scored its opponents 32-16 in the sixth inning, in contrast the Beavers have been out-scored, 32-19 in the seventh. In one ugly stat of note, OSU is 8-7 on the year in games decided by five runs or more - six of the seven Beaver losses have come at the hands of Pac-10 opponents.

QUEEN OF 'K': Senior pitcher Crystal Draper's 190 strikeouts this season currently rank in fifth place in the OSU single-season record book. Last year Draper finished the year with 192 K's, the fourth highest total at OSU. With just 10 more strikeouts Draper will covet 200 K's, a feat accomplished just two other times in Oregon State history - once already by Draper, as a freshman (217).

JUST TWO SHY: Oregon State enters the week with a 38-20 overall record, needing just two more victories to reach 40 wins in four consecutive seasons. The Beavers finish the regular season this weekend against No. 8 Stanford and No. 5 California. OSU has a 1-2 mark against the Bay Area schools this season.

OSU SOFTBALL COMPLEX: Oregon State wrapped up its first season of play at the OSU Softball Complex with a 7-2 record in 2001, including five victories against Top-25 teams (No. 1 UCLA, No. 4 Stanford, No. 6 California (2) and No. 12 Washington). OSU ended year No. 2 with a 10-6 record in Corvallis, including a 3-6 mark against teams ranked in the Top-25. Seven of Oregon State's eight all-time losses have come against teams ranked in the Top-15.

KEEP 'EM COMING: With a double against No. 6 Washington last Friday, junior third baseman Clare Burnum has matched the OSU single-season record with 17 on the year. Burnum needs just one more two-baser to surpass Jodi Chmielewski (1999) and move into sole possession of first place. Burnum started the season hot, belting seven doubles in the first five games. She's warmed-up again lately, doubling in three of the last six contests.

VERSATILITY COUNTS: Junior outfielder Jessica King has hit in eight different spots in the Oregon State starting batting order. The lone hole King has yet to fill is the No. 3 position - fellow junior Brynnen Guthrie has held firm to that spot, garnering the start in 41 games.

LEADING THE PAC: During Pac-10 games, Oregon State leads the conference in fielding percentage, boasting a .978 mark with just 12 errors. Friday's opponent, No. 8 Stanford, is second best in the league with a .975 fielding percentage. The Beavers also lead the Pac-10 with 11 double-plays during conference action.

NOW THAT'S IMPRESSIVE: Junior second baseman Brynnen Guthrie is tied for eighth place in the conference with a .348 (16-for-46) batting average during Pac-10 games. Players from just three other conference schools (UCLA, Arizona State, Washington) rank above Guthrie.

TURNING TWO: Oregon State has turned a Pac-10 leading 20 double plays on the season. The Beavers have turned-two 11 times in over 18 conference games. The OSU record for double plays in a single season is 24, set during the 1984 campaign.

GOOD 'D': Outfielders Michelle Chariton and Jessica King are two of just seven players in the Pac-10 that have a perfect fielding percentage. Chariton has 44 put-outs and five assists without an error while King has made 31 put-outs with 4 assists. Senior catcher Traci Feldt ranks 10th in the conference with a .996 fielding percentage, making 250 put-outs and 12 assists with just one miscue.

DID YOU KNOW: Four current Beaver players rank in the Oregon State record book for career home runs. Junior Steph Adams ranks in second place with 16 long balls, while senior Jenni Jodoin is in third with 14 home runs. Shelly Prochaska's seven homers rank in a tie for fifth while Cara Maxey's five are tied for ninth place.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Junior third baseman Clare Burnum leads the Beavers in doubles with 17 on the year - tied for the highest single season total at Oregon State. Burnum has moved into third place in the OSU record book with 29 doubles in her career. The Canby, Ore., native has equaled the school record of two doubles in a game twice already this year, doing so in wins over San Diego and St. Mary's (Calif.). The Beavers have four active players among the top six on the career doubles list; Burnum (29), senior first baseman Jenni Jodoin (27), junior catcher/dp Shelly Prochaska (26), and junior outfielder Steph Adams (25), are third-through sixth. Junior Brynnen Guthrie has moved into a tie for ninth place with 18 doubles in her career.

TRIPLE TIME:Clare Burnum tied a school single-game record when she hit two triples in a 5-0 win over San Jose State on March 3 at the Fullerton Worth Tournament. Andrea Talcott set the original record on April 2, 1993 against Stanford. The triples were the first of the season for Burnum; she now has five for her career at OSU.

ON THE BASEPATHS: Junior Clare Burnum leads the Beavers with 10 stolen bases (10-for-13) on the season. Senior Michelle Chariton is second on the squad with six swipes while junior Brynnen Guthrie has five. Chariton currently ranks in second place in the OSU record book with 31 steals in her career. The Boise, ID, native needs just two more swipes to surpass Lianne Watanabe (1984-87) and become the Beavers' all-time leader. Last season, Chariton led Oregon State with a perfect 13-for-13 mark on stolen bases, setting the OSU single-season record for swipes.

GUTHRIE GAB: Junior second baseman Brynnen Guthrie leads the Beavers with a .337 (60-for-178) batting average, 60 hits, four home runs and 25 RBI. The Roseburg High grad's 60 hits rank in a tie for eighth place in the OSU single-season record book and her four home runs rank in a tie for ninth place. Guthrie's .348 (16-for-46) batting average during Pac-10 play leads all players.

KING COMMENTS: Junior outfielder Jessica King has upped her batting average significantly over last season's mark. King, who hit .226 as a sophomore, is currently fifth on the squad with a .274 batting average, including four doubles and her first career triple. Her seventh inning RBI single to the left-center field gap last Friday knocked in the winning run as Oregon State upset No. 6 Washington, 2-1. The Gresham High grad has 29 hits on the year, eight more than she had in her first two seasons combined at OSU. King currently ranks second on the squad in batting average during Pac-10 games with a .297 mark (11-for-37). On the year, she has seen action in 53 games, making 39 starts, including seven-straight.

BURNUM BITS: Junior third baseman Clare Burnum leads the Beavers in runs (30), doubles (17), triples (2), stolen bases (10), walks (25), slugging percentage (.503), and on base percentage (.416). Her .329 (57-for-173) batting average ranks second on the squad. The Beavers' most consistent hitter on the season, Burnum has a team-best 17 multiple hit games and her 17 doubles are tied for the most in the Pac-10. The Canby, Ore., native is the lone player to start all 58 contests this season.

DRAPER DOMINANCE: Senior pitcher Crystal Draper ranks as the Oregon State career leader for strikeouts with 781. Draper has struckout 190 batters this season, ranking fourth in the Pac-10. Her seven complete games on the year have moved her into third place in the OSU record book with 70 complete games in her career, while her 73 victories are second only to All-American Tarrah Beyster (91). On the season, Draper has a 13-6 record with a 1.84 ERA and five double-figure strikeout games. Draper's 35 appearances are the most of any OSU pitcher this season and her 13 games in relief rank in a tie for fourth in the Pac-10.

HOFFMAN HIGHLIGHTS: Sophomore hurler Monica Hoffman leads the Beavers with a 1.26 ERA. Hoffman had a streak of consecutive innings pitched without allowing an earned run, snapped at 40.2 innings, against No. 3 Stanford on April 7. Hoffman became just the second OSU pitcher (Crystal Draper) to throw three no-hitters in her career and first to throw three in one season when she blanked University of Oregon on April 2 in Eugene. She threw a pair of no-hitters, including a perfect game, within six days of each other earlier this season. Hoffman ranks second on the squad with 134 strikeouts and leads the team by allowing opposing batters to hit just .157 when she's in the circle. Her 15 games finished in relief rank third in the Pac-10 and her 1.26 ERA ranks ninth.

HUNTER HYPE: Junior pitcher Kristen Hunter, an All-American at Fresno State, has a 12-6 record in the circle for the Beavers. Hunter brings a 2.32 ERA into the week after 30 appearances. Hunter was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week for Mar. 25-31 after going 2-0 with a save, in three appearances on the mound for the Beavers. She has forced batters to groundout 188 times on the year compared to just 56 outs in the air.

FRESHMEN FIGURES: Four freshmen have seen action so far this year for the Beavers. Kelly Petersen has started all 57 games she has participated in at shortstop - she missed the April 7 game against No. 3 Stanford after suffering a concussion on a collision. Petersen is batting .212 with four doubles,18 RBI and 10 sacrifices. Her 10-game hitting streak earlier this year matches the longest for the Beavers during the season. Alana Mendoza has started 43 of 55 games at left field, second base and designated player. Mendoza is batting .238 with seven multiple-hit games. Miranda Dellinger has seen limited action at the plate (2-for-7), but has appeared in 33 games, scoring 10 runs, mostly as a pinch runner. Pitcher Kathryn Neufeld has a 0.78 ERA in nine innings of work and recorded her first career strikeout at Portland State on April 23.

MAKING THE START: Junior Clare Burnum is the only Oregon State player to start all 58 games this year at the same position. The 2001 honorable mention All-Pac-10 performer has anchored third base for the Beavers.

FACING THE BEST: So far this season Oregon State is 8-14 against opponents ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Poll Top-25. OSU finished the 2001 campaign with a 12-16-1 record against nationally ranked opponents. Of the Beavers' 69 games in 2001, 29 (42-percent), were against top-25 squads.

IN THE DUGOUT: Fourth-year assistant coach Jenny Condon is back at Oregon State after a one-year stint at UNLV during the 2000 season. Condon helped lead the Beavers to their first NCAA Regional Tournament appearance in 1999. Heather Smith is back for her third season on the sidelines as an assistant after finishing her playing career with Oregon State in 1999. Shawna Feldt returns to OSU as a student assistant coach after completing her standout career last season. The former shortstop, who ranks as OSU's all-time leader in runs scored, was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection and ranks in Oregon State's career top 10 in eight different batting categories.

THE WORD ON WALKER: Head coach Kirk Walker is in his eighth season at the helm for the Beavers. Walker, a graduate of UCLA, has turned around Oregon State's softball program to make it a contender on a national scale. Walker has an overall coaching record of 253-228-3 and a 59-135 mark in the Pacific-10 Conference. Walker has been selected as one of just 12 coaches named to the USA Softball National Team Coaches Pool, and has a chance to coach in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Prior to his arrival at Oregon State, Walker spent 11 seasons at national powerhouse UCLA as a manager and assistant coach. During his time in Westwood, the Bruins won six NCAA titles and made 10 appearances in the College World Series.